(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a modular air vent assembly kit that can be used to cover duct openings that supply a flow of heated or cooled air to a room in addition to covering duct openings that receive return air from a room. In particular, the modular air vent assembly kit of the invention is comprised of a base, a damper mechanism, and two different faceplates where the damper mechanism can be selectively assembled into the base depending on whether control through the air vent by operation of a damper is needed in the particular duct opening and where either of the two faceplates may be selectively connected with the base where one faceplate has a lattice and is used in combination with the damping mechanism and the other faceplate has a series of louvers and is used when the damping mechanism is not used in the vent assembly. In a further embodiment of the modular air vent assembly kit, the kit includes a frame that can be secured to an air duct opening using conventional fasteners. The frame is constructed to receive the base of the kit in an internal volume of the frame and attach to the base without the requirement of separate fasteners. With the kit including the frame, the frame can first be secured to an air duct opening and then the base can be assembled with or without a damper mechanism and air filter and can then be secured in the frame without the use of separate fasteners. The face plate can then be secured to the base with the border of the face plate overlying the attachment of the frame to the air duct opening obstructing the attachment from view and giving the assembled modular air vent assembly a more aesthetic appearance.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In many HVAC systems, and in particular in HVAC systems used in households, the network of air ducts that make up the system communicate with two groups of outlets or openings, one group providing an outlet for cooled or heated air and the other group providing an inlet for return air to the HVAC system. These two different groups of openings are usually covered by two different types of air vent assemblies.
Air vent assemblies that cover return air openings or inlets of HVAC systems are commonly constructed as rectangular panels that have a grill or a series of louvers that conceal the return air inlet opening but do not appreciably restrict the flow of return air through the inlet opening. The panels typically have two or more fastener holes in the panels that receive threaded fasteners used in attaching the panels to a wall or ceiling surface. The heads of the fasteners are visible in the panel""s fastener holes and detract from the aesthetic appearance of the panels.
Air vent assemblies that cover air outlet openings of the HVAC system typically include some type of damper mechanism that can control the flow of air through the outlet opening. The damper mechanism is assembled into a base of the air vent assembly and can be operated to completely close the air outlet opening and to open the air outlet opening in varying degrees. The outlet air vent assembly also includes a faceplate that is attached to the base and conceals the damper mechanism and the air outlet opening from view, but does not appreciably obstruct the flow of air through the outlet opening. The faceplate includes a lattice that conceals the air outlet opening, and the lattice can be constructed as a series of louvers or can be given a more ornamental appearance.
The need for having two different types of faceplates to cover air outlet openings and air inlet openings of an HVAC system contributes to the overall cost of the system. Air return or air inlet vent assemblies are typically comprised of a base that connects the assembly to the air return opening of the HVAC system and also connects with an air return faceplate that is specifically adapted for the particular base. In a like manner, air outlet vent assemblies are typically comprised of a base that attaches to the outlet opening of the HVAC system and includes the damper mechanism that is attached in the base, and the air outlet faceplate that covers over the base with the base, damper mechanism and faceplate being a pre-assembled unit.
The modular air vent assembly of the present invention is specifically designed to reduce the cost of HVAC systems by providing a kit of component parts that are used in both securing an air inlet faceplate over an air return duct opening of an HVAC system and in securing an air outlet faceplate and damper mechanism over an air outlet duct opening of an HVAC system. The air vent assembly kit of the invention is comprised of a frame, a base, a damper mechanism, and a pair of faceplates with one faceplate being intended for use in covering an air return inlet opening and the other faceplate being intended for use in covering an air outlet opening. The frame is designed to be inserted and secured in both an air outlet opening and an air inlet opening. The base is designed to be received and securely held in the frame without requiring separate fasteners and to have either of the faceplates selectively connected to the base. The base is also designed to have the damper mechanism selectively connected to or assembled in the base where desired. Thus, the base can be assembled into a frame that has been attached to an air return opening without a damper mechanism in the base, or the base can be assembled into a frame that has been attached to an air outlet opening with the damper mechanism assembled in the base. With the base assembled in an air return opening, the desired faceplate of the two faceplates of the kit can be selectively connected to the base by connectors of the faceplate that are inserted into the base and connect the faceplate to the base without separate fasteners. In a like manner, with the base containing a damper mechanism assembled into an air outlet opening of an HVAC system, the desired faceplate of the two faceplates can be selectively connected to the base by inserting connectors of the faceplate into the base and thereby connecting the faceplate to the base without separate fasteners. In both situations a border of the face plate overlies the fasteners that secure the frame to the air duct opening and thereby give the installed air vent assembly a more aesthetic appearance with the fasteners hidden from view.
By providing a frame and base that can be used in air return openings and air outlet openings and by providing a set of faceplates that can be selectively connected to the same base whether they cover an air return opening or an air outlet opening, the modular air vent assembly kit of the present invention simplifies the assembly of the HVAC system and reduces the number of parts needed in assembling the HVAC system and thereby reduces the costs of its assembly.